Bogus traditional healers castigated

TRADITIONAL practitioners who operate without licences have been castigated for their bogus operations since these are leading to untimely deaths and more complex conditions.

Speaking at an annual general meeting held by the Zimbabwe  National Practitioners' Association (ZINPA) in Sakubva recently, the association's president, Dr Friday Chisanyu,  said traditional medicine practitioners should be registered, adding that those who operate without licences led to the misconception that traditional practitioners practise witchcraft.

"Traditional medicine has no association with witchcraft and our main goal is to ensure health, not destroy it.

"However, those who practise without licences will never operate openly, something which will always leave the public with the misconception that we practise witchcraft," said the ZINPA president.

Dr Chisanyu also criticised the overcharging of clients, saying that this was a criminal offence.

"Some traditional practitioners have gone to the extent of charging livestock for their services and this is exorbitant and unacceptable.

"Practitioners like Tsikamutandas should not be allowed to join legitimate associations because their operations are bogus and will only bring mayhem instead of sanity within communities," he said.

He went on to emphasise on the need to increase combined workshops between traditional medicine practitioners and the Ministry of Health and other organisations like the National Aids Council of Zimbabwe since these would help in improved practices by the traditional practitioners, adding that 30 ZINPA members were awaiting graduation from the University of Zimbabwe on a Cancer and Children's Care programme.

Said Dr Chisanyu: "Integration of traditional medicines in national health systems is very important since it allows the exchange of ideas.

"Thirty of our members are awaiting graduation from the UZ on a programme that is very informative on how to take good care of patients as well as the treatment of cancer in regards to traditional medicine."

Also at the meeting was the provincial secretary for research, Mrs Alice Mbavha, who encouraged fellow traditional practitioners to pay the annual subscription fee of US$55 to ensure free practice.

She added that those who chose to operate without certification usually had people dying in the "surgeries" because they would not be having any co-ordination with other practitioners.

Since the beginning of the year, ZINPA managed to register 111 members and Dr Chisanyu described the move as significant, considering that the organisation is only three years old.